ZZQ is Open and Making Richmond’s BBQ Dreams Come True

March 8, 2018: ZZQ started years ago when Chris Fultz and Alex Graf began hosting barbecues in their back yard to introduce friends to their passion for Texas-style smoked beef brisket and other meats. Several New Year’s Days ago, I had the privilege of being invited to one of these events—we brought some libations to share and partook in a delightful meat feast...

ZZQ is Cookin’ in Scott’s Addition

Barbecue popup returns in restaurant form this weekend

March 2, 2018: Having whetted locals’ appetites with their weekly popups, a pair of first-time restaurateurs is turning up the heat on the Scott’s Addition dining scene with their first brick-and-mortar location.

ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque opens this weekend at 3201 W. Moore St., at the corner of Highpoint Avenue in the heart of the eclectic neighborhood.

ZZQ is Almost here!

January 30, 2018: As I walk around, I can almost smell the brisket and ribs. I’m still in a construction zone for sure and nothing is on the pit – but I have eaten a few plates of ZZQ, so I know what’s in store this March and I can hardly wait...

30 Most Exciting Food Cities in America 2017

December 17, 2017: This quirky and charming Southern city might only recently be gaining the attention it deserves for its outstanding dining scene, but Richmond’s universities and vibrant arts scene have been a crucible for forming incredibly talented chefs for decades...

One Brief Shining Moment

October 2017: Used to be that a pop-up referred to a chef — out of work and mulling his future, or preparing to open his own place — who commandeers his buddy’s restaurant for a month or two to test out dishes....

ZZQ Finds it's forever home

November 2, 2016: Scott’s Addition has some new restaurants on the way. ZZQ barbecue — the Texas-style barbecue caterer — has finally found its forever home at 3201 W. Moore St. Owners, spouses and pit masters Chris Fultz and Alex Graf will embark on tear-down and rebuild of the lot nestled next to Ardent Craft Ales, ZZQ’s temporary home for the past two years...

Architects’ BBQ joint to beef up Scott’s Addition

October 28, 2016: There will soon be some extra smoke piping through one of Richmond’s hottest neighborhoods. ZZQ, a barbecue venture run by local architects Chris Fultz and Alex Graf, has plans in the works for a new restaurant to be constructed from scratch at 3201 W. Moore St. in Scott’s Addition...

Our Next Vice President’s Favorite Place to Drink

ZZQ: When Pigs Fly

August 21, 2016: It's 4:30am in Lyon's Point, Louisiana. It's August and the sun will emit the overcoming heat that will result in a thickening layer of oppressive air leaving one unable to breathe and resulting in a puddle of a salty sopping mess. The gunshots are heard muffled in the distance from the farm and the lump in my throat is hard to swallow. This is my least favorite part of the day...

March 30, 2016: If you're already a devotee of ZZQ Texas Craft Barbecue, you know that its melt-in-your-mouth brisket, curls of cavatappi smothered in cheese and jalapeño, and forkfuls of tender blackstrap molasses collard greens all pair perfectly with crisp, cool sips of Ardent Craft Ales beer. If you haven't yet been inducted into the fatty, flavorful fold, now you know: The ZZQ and Ardent pairing is a match made in gustatory heaven...

March 6, 2018: They call it "meat church," and the faithful packed the pews for ZZQ's grand opening March 3. The restaurant features Chris Fultz's famous Texas-style barbecued beef brisket and wife Alex Graf's flavorful sides. The soft open was March 1, and the faithful filled the aisles then too...

'Welcome to our dream': ZZQ barbecue opens in Scott's Addition

March 2, 2018: It’s been quite a journey for spouses Chris Fultz and Alex Graf, the pitmasters who on Saturday celebrated the grand opening of their Scott’s Addition restaurant, ZZQ Texas Craft Barbecue.

Over the past seven years, the duo has turned their love for Texas-style barbecue into a cult following for their meats. They even garnered write-ups from national food press long before becoming owners of a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

From A to ZZQ

January 26, 2018: When ZZQ Texas Craft Barbecue launches in Scott’s Addition, in February 2018, you can expect the inevitable spate of glowing stories in print and online about owners Chris Fultz and Alex Graf, romanticizing the path they took to restaurant ownership and framing them as cultural-culinary heroes...

BBQ Interview - Chris Fultz & Alex Graf - ZZQ Barbeque

ZZQ Brings a Taste of Central Texas to Scott’s Addition

August 28, 2017: If you’ve driven through Scott’s Addition on a Friday night, chances are the alluring aroma of smoked brisket in the air has piqued your interest. You may have also seen the giant wood-burning smoker being hauled into Ardent Craft Ales every other week with nothing but a line of people as far as the eye can see...

ZZQ to open Texas-style barbecue shack in Scott’s Addition

October 28, 2016: There will soon be some extra smoke piping through one of Richmond’s hottest neighborhoods. ZZQ, a barbecue venture run by local architects Chris Fultz and Alex Graf, has plans in the works for a new restaurant to be constructed from scratch at 3201 W. Moore St. in Scott’s Addition...

Slow 'n' Steady

October 27, 2016: When Chris Fultz and Alex Graf think about Texas barbecue, they think of the journey. Long drives across the state's sprawling landscape to family-owned meat meccas are not uncommon for a good meal under a metal roof, sometimes a dot in the middle of nowhere, hours outside of a major city...

Interview: ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque

May 25, 2016: Virginia has many things to offer that aren’t readily found elsewhere: rich history, relatively perfect run of all four seasons, and, of course, great shirts made in our capital city. Believe it or not, before proprietors/husband-and-wife team Chris Fultz and Alex Graf hatched ZZQ Craft Barbeque, finding authentic Texas barbecue in the Old Dominion was a challenge (yeah, we said it.)...